IUCN threat status:

Brief Summary

Biology

During winter, the red-breasted goose feeds on winter wheat, barley, maize, pasture grasses and natural grassland (2). When it moves to the breeding grounds in early June, the diet changes, and consists primarily of grass leaves and shoots (8). In the second half of June, females lay between three and ten eggs, which are incubated for around 25 days (8). Nests are built in close proximity to other red-breasted goose nests, and also to the nests of peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) and snowy owls (Nyctea scandiaca), as these birds provide protection from predators, improving breeding success of the geese (2). The chicks fledge at between five to six weeks of age. In mid-September, the red-breasted geese begin their migration back to the western Black Sea coast, arriving in October or November (8).